Kingdom Within
by Curryfury13
Summary: Under DiZ's instruction, Hinata, Sam, and Riku are sent to an unknown world to investigate a glitchy signal that DiZ had received. But it seems the world has bigger problems for them.
1. Chapter 1

Kingdom Within

Chapter 1

 *****Note: Thank you so much for checking this out! This is set with my KHOC characters during Forgotten Traveler (third book in my series), which takes place during Kingdom Hearts 2. This also has many elements and villains from the horror game series, Evil Within. There will be lots of gore and language, so please read at your own discretion. Enjoy!*****

"What are we expecting down there?" Sam asked, adjusting the glove that concealed the copper of her mechanical arm. She went to the railing of the ship, looking down at the planet below.

"I'm not sure," Ben answered honestly, his metal fingers clicking away at the navigational interface. "DiZ picked up on a disturbance in the area; a glitch in the system is all he told me."

"Great," Sam sighed, rolling her eyes and turning around to face Hinata as she was coming up onto the deck. "Your dad sure likes keeping his little secrets, doesn't he?"

Hinata scoffed, walking over to the control board beside Ben to look over the notes her dad had sent over. "In this case, I don't think he actually knows what we're dealing with. But…" Her voice trailed off as she flipped through the digital pictures on the screen that showed a desolate hospital that had been filled with people hours before. "It's possible it might have something to do with Thaanix… Or the Organization…" She looked back up at Sam, grabbing the side of a tablet and turning it towards her. "People don't just disappear… It has to be something."

Sam went forward and flipped through the pictures as well, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she looked at the filled halls being suddenly emptied.

"And the same time the people disappeared, DiZ's computers crashed." Hinata informed her, reading through the information beside Ben. She glanced up when she heard Riku coming onto the deck, she sent him a lopsided smile, before looking back to the screen. "It can't just be a coincidence."

"Did he check that creepy synthetic Twilight Town he made?" Sam asked, showing Riku the tablet before she crossed her arms. "Maybe they all ended up there."

"I doubt it," Riku spoke up, not having much of a reaction from the pictures. "He programs those people into his town. Random people couldn't just show up out of nowhere."

"We'll figure it out, I guess." Sam shrugged. "Not sure why we're the ones being called to do it though. Since when did we become DiZ's errand dogs?"

"If it has anything to do with Thaanix, I'd rather find out myself before anyone else gets hurt." Hinata told her as she went to the railing of the ship, looking down at the planet below as they orbited safely in space. "Plus, hundreds of people just disappeared… if we can help, we should."

Sam sighed, "Always the moral compass." She drew her gaze to the planet, taking in a deep breath as she pulled her lavender hair back and tied it up. "But you're right. Let's see what went down."

"Make sure we stick together." Riku informed the two girls, looking at Hinata until she turned and met his gaze. "If this is Thaanix, we don't want to be separated again."

Hinata's lips tipped into a smile as she nodded, "Thank you. And I agree. Whatever happens and whatever we find, let's stick together."

"Fine," Sam waved her off, looking to Ben. "Alright, send us down."

"Right-o!" Ben chimed, "Let me know if you need me down there! I'll send any useful info from DiZ your way."

"Thanks," Hinata managed to say before a bright light surrounded them and they were beamed down to the planet's surface.

They appeared in the entryway of the same hospital from the photographs. Police cars were parked erratically on the curved street in front of the doors. Their blue and red headlights swirled and lit the otherwise dark night, casting an unsettling light on the double doors that were busted open. Hinata looked them over, each one of them empty and silent. The sight caused an uneasiness to begin stirring in her gut. She didn't look away until Riku's hand on her shoulder caught her attention.

"Let's go in," he whispered to her as she looked up at him.

His usual white hair was tied back into a loose bun, falling over his long black coat that had transformed into a wool trench coat. Their eyes met, the amber in his gaze seeming just as perturbed as her golden ones.

She swallowed, giving him a short nod as she followed him through the doors, grabbing Sam's arm to pull her along with them. Sam was also in a transformed look. A gray button up shirt under a purple vest, that was tucked into pair of simple black pants. She held out her mechanical arm, ready to begin charging up the crystal at a moment's notice as they entered the hospital.

The stench that bombarded them upon entrance caused Hinata to hold back a cough as she looked what was supposed to be an empty hospital. Instead, blood was smeared along the walls, the ceiling lights flickering in and out of existence over the mangled bodies that lay scattered along the ground.

"What the fuck…?" Sam whispered, walking a bit ahead as Hinata slowed to a stop in shock. "What happened to a completely empty hospital?"

Riku glanced back at Hinata, giving her hand a light squeeze, before he also went forward to examine the carnage. He knelt down beside a body that was slumped along the wall, examining the wounds. "This wasn't a gunshot… or any sort of blade."

"What was it then?" Sam asked, stopping beside the information desk counter and browsing through the documents splayed on the surface.

Riku shook his head. "I don't know… it's almost like they were killed from the inside out."

"Thaanix's work?" Sam suggested, picking up a few of the documents and examining them further.

"No…" Hinata spoke up, her voice dry as she took in a shaking breath, finally able to step forward. "Thaanix doesn't leave bodies behind… this couldn't have been her…"

"And the Organization doesn't just go on killing sprees." Riku stood back up, going over to Hinata and running his hand along her arm. "I think we're dealing with something else."

Sam nodded, tossing the documents back on the counter. "Then we should probably get out of here then, huh?"

Hinata shook her head, swallowing hard as she averted her gaze from the bodies up to Riku. "We can't just walk away from this."

"Yes, cause we can definitely handle whatever took these people out." Sam pointed out sarcastically as she joined back with them, nervously glancing around at the surrounding bodies. She stopped in front of Hinata as she met her gaze with hers, crossing her arms. "We can barely handle Thaanix on our own. Let the people on this world handle it themselves."

Hinata's frown deepened as she looked between Sam and Riku, both of them awaiting her answer. Her eyes scanned over the lobby of the hospital, taking in the blood and the crumbled, lifeless bodies piled around the once pristine tiled floor.

"This… isn't right." Hinata whispered.

"No shit," Sam agreed, running her hands along her arms. "Can we get out of here? I'm getting really creeped out."

"No, I mean," Hinata shook her head, walking past them towards the bodies. "Why wouldn't their bodies have shown up in the pictures DiZ sent us? They were taken from the security cameras just a few minutes before we got here." She turned around, looking up towards the ceiling, spotting the small black camera in the corner that moved with every one of her movements. "Something isn't right here."

"Hinata, let's just leave." Sam borderline pleaded, stepping towards her.

"She has a point," Riku spoke up, making Sam let out a groan.

"I don't care if she has a point, this place creeps me the fuck out." Sam objected. "This isn't our fight, let's just go."

"But-" Hinata began to speak.

"I don't want to know what's going on," Sam interjected. "We have enough shit going on with your Replica."

Hinata shook her head, letting out a long breath, "Alright... We'll leave. At least until we have more info from DiZ."

"Thank God," Sam whispered, spinning on her heels and rushing out of the building.

After she left, Riku began walking over to Hinata until she held out her hand to stop him. "What is it?" He asked, freezing in place.

"That camera…" She motioned her head towards the security camera. "It's been following my every step, but it hasn't even looked at you or Sam."

Riku followed her gaze, noticing the black camera focusing on the slightest movement Hinata made. With a flick of his wrist, a Corridor of Darkness appeared behind Hinata. "Back into it slowly." He whispered, "It will take you back to the ship."

Hinata nodded, sliding her foot backwards, just about to pass the threshold of the Corridor, before a high pitched shriek from outside made her freeze. She and Riku darted their attention to the door as it slammed shut, the windows shattering from the impact as the screaming continued. Their widened eyes met with each other, before the sound of a camera shutter caused a bright flash of light to encapsulate them completely.

The screaming ceased, the cold rigid air of the night had disappeared, instead replaced with a stagnant warmth that reeked of something rotten. Hinata gagged as she opened her eyes, gasping at the sight and scrambling back. She had somehow appeared in a completely different environment. A dim glow of light from a nonexistent source illuminated the boxed in room. The walls were made of a thick scratched glass, but whatever was outside of the walls was completely darkened, making it impossible to see anything besides her shadowy reflection along with the cloth covered bodies hanging from the ceiling.

Hinata ran her hand along the glass, searching for any sort of crack that would allow for an escape. It took every fiber in her body not to pay any attention to the sacks hanging from the ceiling, particularly to the ones that seemed to wriggle every few seconds. Her heart was in her throat, her paled hands trembling as she focused on nothing other than finding her escape.

Each wall was felt, examined for any imperfection or deep crack, but none was found. She stepped back, holding out her hand at her side… but nothing appeared. With a gasp, she looked down at her open palm, trying again and again to summon a weapon… nothing.

"Oh my God…" She whispered, tears beginning to build in the back of her throat as the sensation of helpless terror festered in her gut. "No, no, please." She tried again, and again, falling to her knees and focusing every bit of her mind to summoning anything, but her magic was inexplicably gone.

"This can't be real." She shook her head, looking up at the fogged glass, once again noticing the wriggling body bags hanging behind her as thick blood began staining the white cloth.

Pushing herself to her feet, she went over to one of the body bags, hesitating before placing her hand along it. "H-hello?" She nearly squeaked, jumping back when the bag began to shake violently in response. "Oh my God! Don't worry! I-I'll get you out!" She assured them, pulling the thick fabric.

Grabbing handfuls of the fabric, not paying any attention to the warm blood that seeped between her fingers, she hoisted herself off the ground, climbing up the bag to the rope that tied it to the hook in the ceiling. The body inside the bag began to moan, whimpering in pain as blood dripped to the floor. Hinata mumbled reassurances to them and secretly to herself as she pulled at the knotted rope. With one last pull, it all came free, both her and the body bag falling to the floor. Hinata cried out from the impact of the stone ground against her back, but quickly scrambled onto her knees to get the bag off of the body… except there was nothing there except a limp, blood soaked fabric.

"What…?" Hinata shook her head, trying to ignore the throb of pain that was surging through her, blurring the corners of her vision.

She scanned her eyes around the room, seeing the other body bags wriggling wildly, but not a single other being was in sight. Blood seeped into her clothes as she knelt there in complete shock, the cloth of the empty body bag gripped tightly in her grasp. Shaking her head once more, she looked down at the limp cloth, trying to make sense of what was happening.

One by one the bodies around her began to moan, crying out in pain as blood dripped from their fabric. The sound made Hinata clench her jaw, biting her tongue to provide the slightest hint of distraction from the chorus of weeping. She closed her eyes, tasting bile in the back of her throat.

"This can't be real…" She whispered, tears welling up in her shut eyes. "This _can't_ be real…" The moans only grew in volume, making Hinata drop the fabric in her grasp as she clamped her hands over her ears. "Wake up… Wake up! WAKE UP!" She yelled, her voice cracking with emotion.

Shaking her head, she looked back up, finding herself in the same place. Stumbling to her feet, she banged her fists against the glass. "HELLO! Anyone!" She cried, "Riku! RIKU, please, tell me your there! RIKU, SAM!"

Nothing but an echo of her own voice mixing with the howling wails gave her a response.

With a shaking breath, she backed up, looking around the room that almost seemed to be shrinking with every second she was trapped inside of it. Her back hit the opposite wall, hearing the slightest sound of crinkling paper. She spun around with a gasp, stopping when she saw a simple piece of white paper taped to the glass.

She reached up, pulling it off the wall, examining it with furrowed brows. A simple smiley face was drawn on its surface with a shaky hand, and a single word scribbled along the top.

"...Smile…" Hinata whispered the word aloud, her voice weak and trembling.

She looked up, her eyes widening at the sight of an old fashioned camera set up right outside the thick glass, pointed straight at her. With a bright flash, it took her picture, blinding Hinata as she let out a shriek of surprise. Blinking rapidly, she found herself once again in a completely new environment. The wailing had ceased, the foul stench of the bodies soaked with blood had faded away. She instead was in the entryway of what appeared to be a regal mansion. The double cherry wood doors were locked behind her, trapping her inside a gorgeous hall. The carpet was a rich, deep purple, the walls covered with portraits and regal artwork that seemed to be marvelously crafted until further examined. Blood dripped from the eyes of the subjects, their eyes blackened and the tiniest writing scribbled over the layers of paint. The same writing that was on the paper Hinata had found in the room she had been trapped in.

Taking in a breath and letting out a slight sigh of relief to be free of the previous cage, Hinata turned in place to take in her new surroundings. The camera was gone, along with the bodies hanging from the ceiling; but in her hands, the paper she had been holding suddenly felt thicker. She swallowed hard as she looked down, seeing her photograph in her hand. Her heart plummeted to her stomach, noticing a figure standing just a few feet behind her in the picture. He stood taller than her, a crazed smirk curling his lips as he stared at Hinata from behind. His appearance seemed like it would be a normal man, his fashion pronounced and clean amongst the blood and carnage around him. Black, styled hair was gelled on his head, the front of it was shaggy, covering his left eye as the other practically glowed from intensity; a bright, icy blue, that was shining with a pure excitement that sent chills down Hinata's spine.

 *****Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading! I know, a very short chapter compared to my usual ones. I wanted to have some fun with a Halloween/horror type of AU and have been working on this off and on for most of October! It's a new genre for me to write, but I'm having so much fun with it! I've always had an obsession with horror games and Evil Within is one of my favorites to play when I'm having a bad day.**

 **We are going to be switching between Hinata and Sam from chapter to chapter, so we'll be seeing what's going on with Sam next. If you haven't played the Evil Within series, I would highly recommend it! It's crazy and a lot of fun, if you don't take it too seriously. My version is a bit off the wall from the main story. Fans of the game can probably realize that I'm sort of doing my own thing, rather than following the story to the tee, BUT I hope it's still alright and that some people can still enjoy it regardless.**

 **Anyway, Happy Belated Halloween! Have a lovely week! *****


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Sam ran her hands over her arms as she walked outside the hospital doors. Her heart was lodged in her throat, her skin chilled and shivering. She hadn't been prepared for what they would find inside that lobby and despite trying to play it off as if she hadn't been affected, the lifeless decrepit bodies made the pit of her stomach tighten with unease and disgust.

"Let's just get out of here," she muttered, looking up towards the pitch black sky, not a single star in sight.

A sudden flash of light made her dart her attention back forward, seeing none other than Namine standing a few feet away from her. Her usual perfectly styled hair was frizzed and unkempt, her white dress ripped and splattered with blood and blackened mud. She took in a gasping breath of the air, darting her eyes about until they landed on Sam.

"N-Namine…?" Sam stepped forward, at a complete loss for words. "What-"

"I don't have much time," Namine interrupted her with a trembling voice, tears filling her already large blue eyes. "Please, you have to get out of here."

"I don't get it," Sam shook her head, an awkward laugh ending her words. "What are you even doing here?"

" _Please_! You have to listen!" Namine shook her head, clenching her hands into fists. "Grab Hinata, get _out_ of here before it's too late! H-he's going to use her against me, I can't let that happen... This was the only place I could contact you, I don't-" she choked on a sob, "I don't have much time."

"Alright, slow down a second," Sam put up her hands, trying to calm her down. "Who's going to use her against you?"

"Sam, please!" Namine cried.

"Look, I'm waiting on them to get out here so we can leave," Sam pointed over her shoulder towards the hospital entrance, noticing Namine's eyes widen further as she darted her gaze to the hospital. "Just tell me what's going on so we can help you."

"It's already too late…" She whispered, tears falling down her cheeks. "I shouldn't… I shouldn't have sent that signal."

"Too late…?" Sam asked, looking at the hospital, then back to Namine, "Alright, what the hell are you talking about!?"

Namine shut her eyes, a darkness beginning to pool around her feet, slowly covering her entire body. Tears dripped from her chin, shimmering before being engulfed by the pure darkness. "Sam… I… I'm sorry."

"What do you-"

Namine clenched at her chest, falling to her knees as the darkness began clawing into her. Sam reached for her, trying to rush towards her, before Namine began to scream. The unearthly sound pierced her heart, her ears, making Sam clamp her hands over them. She tried to yell out Namine's name, Hinata's, anyone she could think of that could help, but she couldn't even hear her own voice over the curdling scream Namine was emitting.

Her vision blurred as the world around her seemed to be getting heavier by the second. She fell to her knees, watching helplessly as the darkness completely enveloped Namine. Then it froze, everything froze as if time itself had stopped. The screaming ceased and Sam hesitantly removed her hands from her ears, her heart pounding in her throbbing head. Her shallow breaths were the only sound in the eerie stillness, until with a loud bang, the darkness suddenly shot out. The force of it slammed Sam to the ground, her head hitting the asphalt with a loud _CRACK_ , her consciousness tunneling to black.

Soft classical music eased its way into Sam's reigniting mind, coaxing her back to consciousness. Her brain throbbed, her entire body ached as she fluttered her eyes open. She was flat on her back, still outside of the hospital, but something was different. Minutes passed before Sam's vision had fully cleared and her thoughts had knitted themselves back together. Everything that had led up to her passing out came back to her as she stared up at the sky, mesmerized by the swirls of purples and blues in the night above. It all seemed unnatural, mystic, Sam blinked, chalking it up to her throbbing headache as she pushed herself into a sitting position.

"Fucking hell…" she groaned, wincing from her sore muscles, before freezing.

The empty patrol cars were still parked sporadically in front of the hospital, but they were splattered with blood and dents. Beyond them, the world was not anything like how Sam remembered it. Instead of a forest road leading to a distant city, huge thorny vines towered above her, buildings were floating, spinning in the unnatural sky. Moans and groans could be heard echoing in the distance, mixing with the otherwise calming classical music that was coming from inside the hospital.

"What the hell just happened…?" She whispered, swallowing hard as she stumbled to her feet.

All at once she remembered Hinata and Riku still inside. Her eyes widened, a gasp escaping as she turned and sprinted back to the building.

"Riku, Hinata!" She yelled, tripping up the stairs and clinging to the entry doorway as she scanned her eyes over the lobby.

The bodies were still scattered, somehow with even more blood smeared in every corner of the room, but Riku and Hinata were nowhere to be seen. She stepped inside, jumping as the ceiling light popped and shattered upon her entrance. Her steps were careful and slow, her mechanical arm out at her side and silently charging up a shot of energy. She couldn't shake the feeling that something, somewhere was watching her.

"Hinata," she whispered, heading towards the front desk, "Hinata, are you in here? Riku?"

There was no answer, except the same classical music swirling its notes around her, attempting to pull her into a false sense of security. She allowed it to calm her slightly, as she went past the large round desk, approaching a wall of computer screens. Each one showed a different room of the hospital from the view of the security cameras. Sam came to a stop in front of them, looking over them in an attempt to find one that showed the lobby. Her eyes instead landed on one that showed a long hallway that was already in the process of rewinding.

It stopped, automatically playing to show police officers sprinting down the hall, yet by the look of terror in their eyes, it was obvious they were running away. A few came to a stop, turning around with their guns pointed, shooting at the unseen perpetrator. Sam's hands clenched the edge of the desk in front of her, her breath shallow as she saw a white robed man walking into view of the recording. The edges of the robe was distressed, worn and old, but the wearer appeared to be young, barely older than Sam. He phazed in and out of existence, the bullets whizzing past without meeting their mark. One by one, the officers began to fall to the ground, a spray of blood bursting from their heads. Sam narrowed her eyes, able to see the haze of the robed man appearing and disappearing between them, a narrow, thin, blade in his grasp.

As the last officer fell, the man stopped, fully visible in the center of the hall. His hands clenched at his sides a smirk tipping at the corner of his lips. He turned his gaze up towards the camera, his silver eyes glowering back at Sam before he disappeared completely.

"What the hell…?" Sam whispered, freezing when she felt a rush of chilling air behind her.

Her heart jumped to her throat as she spun around, seeing the robed man standing right behind her. She stumbled back, outstretching her arm and firing a blast of glowing energy straight towards him. He phazed a foot to the left, watching the energy impact the desk behind him, folders, papers, and wood going flying in an explosion. He hummed in appreciation and curiosity before disappearing once again. Sam spun around, slowly backing away from the desks, the crystal in her arm charged and ready to fire the moment he reappeared.

"Show yourself, you bastard," she muttered, desperately trying to keep the tremble out of her voice.

The classical music that had continued to play, echoed around her, it's rhythm increased with the pounding of her heart. She turned, yelping at the pair of silver, lifeless eyes that stared back at her, barely inches away. Thick, poorly stitched scars went across his pale face, contrasting with the severe burn marks that blemished his skin. The slightest smirk quirked his lips as he reached forward, grabbing Sam by the collar and pulling her closer. She scowled, shoving her mechanical arm between them and activating her shield, forcing him back and out of his grip. He stumbled back a step, phazing out of existence and reappearing a few feet back.

"Stay the fuck away from me!" Sam demanded, scowling as he simply stared back at her, enjoyment obvious in his gaze.

"You possess interesting technology," the man spoke up, his voice smooth and deep as his eyes danced over her mechanical arm. "Unlike anything I've ever seen." His gaze met back with her glowering one.

Sam shifted her weight uncomfortably under his gaze, but kept her eyes glaring back at him regardless. She swallowed hard, matching his steps whenever he tried to circle around her or get closer. "You're the one that killed everyone, aren't you?"

He paused, "Yes."

"Why?" She asked, aiming her arm at him with a warning look when he outstretched his arms at his sides.

"They were getting in the way."

"Of what?" She pried, irritation rising in her voice from his vague reply..

"My reality." He simply told her, his smirk widening from her narrowing gaze. "I wonder if you are here to do the same."

Sam scoffed, "All I'm wanting to do is get the hell out of here."

A low rumble of a laugh emitted from his chest as he circled around her, Sam continuing to match his pace with her arm ready to fire.

"Yes, you were dragged into this world, weren't you? You're not the one she's after."

Sam stopped, blinking, " _She…?_ "

"If you wish to leave this place," he continued, not regarding her question. "I propose we work together. With your technolo-"

"Yeah, I'm going to propose you go to hell." Sam snapped, denying his offer without hesitation.

Her response tipped the corner of his lips upwards, "Fair enough." He phazed to be right in front of her, making her stagger back. "I wonder how long you'll keep that sentiment, once I'm through with you."

She fired a blast towards him, startling when he disappeared and reappeared back in front of her. "Get away from-"

"It's a shame you were dragged into this… _Sam_ ," he told her, his tone cool and smooth. "Because until you change your mind... you're mine, to do with as I please."

"W-what…?" Sam's eyes widened, but she wasn't able to say another word as a sudden gush of force slammed against her entire body.

Her eyes shut, her body falling back and landing hard on the tiled floor. Her breath fled her body as she struggled to inhale. Straining not to lose her consciousness once again, she shook her head, opening her eyes to see that she was in completely new surroundings. The classical music had ceased, everything completely silent that even her shallow breaths echoed through the empty corridor.

She still appeared to be in the hospital, in a long hallway, doors lined on either side. Rubble, blood, and empty wheelchairs were scattered along the floor. The wallpaper along the walls was shredding, rotting away to reveal the moldy walls beneath. Sam scrambled to her feet, her chest heaving as she realized she had just been teleported somewhere else.

She spun around, her path blocked behind her by a cave in, the only way for her to go was forward. The lights flickered above her, leading to an open room at the end of the corridor where Sam could see a pile of bloodied bodies simply waiting for her.

"This is sick," she muttered, looking around before yelling, "This is sick! You hear me?!"

No one responded to her objections, her voice ringing around the empty hall before falling back to silence. Shaking her head, she reluctantly moved forward. She reached for every door she passed, trying to find another way to go to avoid the pile of bodies awaiting her at the end of the hall, but not one of them would open. Either jammed or locked, preventing her entry and escape. She cursed and kicked the bottom of the last door, barely feet away from the room with the bodies.

Backing up, she stared at the rotting corpses, bile building in the back of her throat, the rancid scent of their flesh making her guts coil in disgust. There was no other way to go. She licked her lips, swallowing hard as she forced her feet forward. The whir of her mechanical arm charging rang in her ears, preparing for a blast. If she had to conform for his game, she was going to be ready for anything.

She passed the threshold into the room, being much larger than it seemed from out in the hall. Sidestepping, she avoided the bodies, keeping her arm aimed at them as she examined the space. Thick, black mold was caked on the walls, building and growing amidst the blood dripping from the ceiling. Hospital beds and wheelchairs were scattered over the cracked tile floor, a few of them filled with a body concealed by a bloodied, tattered sheet. Sam looked over everything, realizing there was no other door leading out of the room.

A huff of breath escaped her as she glared up towards the ceiling, "Um, what exactly is your goal here, huh?! I know you're watching this, you bastard!"

The man's laugh resounded in the room, making Sam tense even further before he flashed into existence at the doorway of the room. "You sound upset." He simply told her.

"You son of a bitch," she growled, blasting a charged shot towards him.

As expected, he phazed out of existence, the blast impacting the wall behind him with a crash and explosion. The same cold chill appeared behind her, shivers shooting through her body. With a gasp, she spun around, attempting to elbow him in the face as he was standing right behind her, but he simply appeared a few feet back.

"Enough games!" Sam yelled, still aiming her arm towards him. "Bring me back so I can get the fuck out of here!"

He stared at her for a moment, before laughing softly, "Oh _Sam_ , it's not that simple."

Her jaw clenched, hearing her name on his lips again only made the knot inside of her tighten and twist. It caused the anger and confidence in her to slip away, replaced with the dread and fright she was trying to keep buried inside. Her breaths became shallow, the color draining from her skin as the blood and bodies around her became all the more apparent.

"What do you want…?" She asked him, the tremble returning to her voice.

The corner of his lips quirked upwards, "I wanted to see if you were ready. But by your attitude, I doubt you are."

"Ready… ready for what?" She asked him, when he simply looked away, she stepped forward. " _Hey_! Ready for what?!"

"Perhaps a visit with my sister will change your mind." He told her, sending her a smirk before he disappeared completely.

"No, wait!" She reached towards him, but he was gone before her hand could reach him. "DAMMIT!" She cursed, rustling her hands through her hair in aggravation. "What the hell is going on?"

A warm, wet sensation around her feet brought her out of her thoughts. She looked to the ground, gasping and stumbling back as she realized she was standing in a pool of blood that was oozing from the pile of bodies. Low moans began emitting from it, the entire pile convulsing and bodies rolling off the top, splashing into the thickening blood. Sam breath caught in her throat, slowly backing away with her arm powering up to fire.

The moans grew into one single voice the pitch rising higher and higher until it was a curdling scream. Sam clamped her hands over her ears, backing back out into the hallway, her mind scrambling for what to do. She looked frantically at the doors lined against the wall, running for the nearest one and pulling at the handle with a growing desperation.

A hand clawed its way out of the bodies, its nails disgustingly long and sharp. Another hand followed, and two others, pulling a mangled mass out of the mountain of corpses. Thick, wiry, black hair covered the head of the creature, dragging along the floor, mixing with the blood and mold pooled beneath it.

"Shit, shit, shit," Sam pulled even harder at the door, a cry wanting to force its way out of her to show how terrified she really was. "COME ON!" Stepping back, she fired a blast from her hand to the door, sparks flying everywhere upon impact.

Before the smoke could begin to clear, jagged nails dug into her waist, slicing across her as they flung her to the ground. Sam cried out, face to face with the monstrosity that had crawled out of the bodies. It had the face of a deranged woman, her eyes widened and lifeless. It stared back at Sam with a wide grin, pinning her down with one of its many hands, the nails boring into her skin as she struggled against its grasp. Raising a hand, the creature prepared to slam it down on Sam's face, ending everything in one swift motion.

" _NO_!" Sam screamed, raising her own hand and firing a blast in the creature's face.

It yowled and screeched, rearing its head back as sparks and blood sprayed from the impact. Sam wriggled out of its grasp, scrambling to her feet and shoving open the door she had shot through. She fell upon entering, the wounds across her torso bleeding and crying out in pain, begging for attention. Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself back up, turquoise eyes scanning the room in a panic.

It appeared to be a plain hospital room. Rotten curtains hanging as room dividers and sodden beds with sunken bodies on the mattress. But not a single other door to another room. Sam cursed under her breath, wiping at her face, surprised to see a smear of tears and blood on her hand. She hadn't even realized that she had begun to cry.

The shriek of the creature wrangled her out of her thoughts, bringing her back to the very dire reality. She knew it was closing in, coming after her in a blood rage and she had nowhere to run. Pushing herself forward, she grabbed wheelchairs and medical equipment, throwing it behind her in any attempt to slow the monster chasing her as she looked for any sort of escape.

A metal grate along the top of the wall near the ceiling caught her attention. The ventilation shaft. Sam scrambled towards it, not daring to look behind her. She cried out in pain as she climbed on top of metal filing cabinets, feeling the warmth of her blood seeping through her clothes. With a blast from her arm, the metal grate was shattered and she forced herself inside the narrow corridor. A slash of nails slit across her calf, just before she was fully inside. Sam bit back a scream, focusing every ounce of her strength and adrenaline to escape.

The creature shrieked behind her, slashing inside the ventilation shaft, but unable to fit. Sam dragged herself along, her leg limp and gashed, leaving a trail of blood behind her. She glanced back at the creature, feeling the slightest bit of relief to have escaped, but it was short lived as she came to realize she had no idea where she was headed. Whimpers and soft cries escaped her with every movement. She knew she needed to heal her wounds, but first she needed to get somewhere safe. Wherever safe was.

The shrieks of the ghastly creature finally began to fade out the further Sam went, and soon she found herself completely alone again. Nearing a dead end that split into multiple directions, she came to a pause, allowing her muscles to fall limp and taking what solace she could from the cool metal against her skin. The loss of blood was beginning to affect her as her vision blurred and thoughts clouded. Reaching to her mechanical arm, she reached into the center and pulled out the Atlantean crystal, hearing the arm powering down as she looked at the shining stone in her palm. She pulled up at her shirt, wincing and whimpering as she rolled to her side and looked down at the gashes along her waist.

She tapped the crystal to the center of the largest cut, hissing at the sting of contact. The crystal glowed brilliantly, a blue sparkling mist slowly covering her entire side. Sam slammed her eyes shut, breathing deeply through her nose and biting her tongue from the sensation. It wasn't anywhere near as painful as when Riku would use the Darkness to heal her, but it wasn't any more pleasant. Her breaths regulated as she felt the power of the crystal fading from her body. Opening her eyes, she looked down to see her skin woven back together, only thin white scars remaining as evidence. Reaching down, she grabbed her limp leg, pulling it up to perform the same ordeal, yet she froze when she heard a sudden shout echo against the metal walls.

It was Riku's.

 *****Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading! Getting longer with the chapters, expect them to slowly grow in length as we progress into the story! I know nothing really makes sense yet, but I promise it will eventually!**

 **Fans of the games will automatically know who the man is that's toying with Sam. And yes, I know he's a bit different in my version! So please don't murder me for my representation, not horribly anyways ahaha! Any guesses on who Riku's been dealing with? We'll find out in a couple chapters!**

 **Just having too much fun with this.**

 **Anyway, thanks again for reading! Have a lovely week!*****


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